It is “an ill wind that blows no one in the Middle East any good,” wrote Time magazine in 1971, adding that the khamsin can “madden men,” cause car accidents, and increase crime rates by as much as 20 percent.

The need to better engage employees is especially crucial during a recession, when mantras such as "do more with less" can madden employees who must pick up extra duties after their colleagues are laid off, but who are offered no tangible financial incentive to innovate.